Flower Boy
by AuthenticAussie
Summary: Ace recently got a job helping Makino's flower shop, organising the little place for its new opening. He can't say that the work was very hard, but when a stranger comes up to him on the day of the grand opening, will Ace accept his affections?


The smell of freshly cut flowers hung heady in the air as Ace carefully positioned the last of the roses out the front of the flower store, displaying their bright blossoms for those passing by on the street. He wiped the back of his hand over his forehead, getting rid of the sweat that had beaded there in the heat, and straightened arms reaching above his head in a languid stretch that almost made him sigh happily at the pull in his back. The freckled man had been arranging them since earlier this morning, working like crazy to get both the inside and the outside ready for Makino's grand opening, and the chance for a short break was definitely relished.

Makino had gotten one too many insults at her old place of work and the former bartender had finally put her foot down, quitting and getting her savings together to buy the store that Ace was currently working like mad to get fixed up.

The small corner shop doubled as both a café and a flower store, and Makino had called in a favour with the young man, asking if he wouldn't mind covering shifts until she got her business up and running properly. He'd eagerly agreed, knowing that Makino would probably happily feed him any leftovers after work and wouldn't mind him camping out in the store until his own apartment had been fixed up. The small place where he lived had recently gotten a termite infestation and Ace had been jumping around from place to place while it got slowly cleared out. Makino's call was a godsend to the man, who was both in between jobs and stuck technically homeless.

He smoothed down the front of his green apron, brushing off leaves while he did so, and felt a grin stretch across his face at both the wonderful summer weather and how things were slowly starting to work themselves out. About to go inside, he heard a polite cough from behind him, and the polished tone of another man.

"Not that I'm not enjoying the view from back here but would you mind moving over?"

His tanned cheeks immediately burned, and Ace quickly turned around, met with an eyeful of a white chef's coat before he raised his gaze slightly to see an extremely fluffed-up brown hair style.

The heck was this guy's hair doing, trying to emulate Elvis or something?

"What do _you _want?" Ace demanded, resting his hands on his hips and giving the other man a glare.

The brunet guy only looked amused at Ace's bristling, almost like he was watching a puppy growl, and pointed behind the freckled teen, fighting a smile. "The roses. Would you mind moving?"

His cheeks burned again, this time from embarrassment, and the young man internally chastised himself for the rude tone he'd used. This wasn't like working with Luffy or Sanji, where he could be as rude as he liked, this was working at a _flower shop. _Plus, Makino would have his head if she'd learnt he'd been insulting the customers.

"Soo," The brunet said, once Ace had shuffled to the side and he'd moved closer to see the roses, "What's your name?"

"Ace." Ace said in reply, pointing to the badge hanging from his apron. "It's on the nametag."

Nodding slightly at that, glancing to where Ace was pointing, the brunet gave him a grin. "I'm Thatch."

"Right." Ace quipped shortly, forcing a polite smile. _Customer, customer, customer. Makino will definitely kick your ass if you run him off. _"Nice to meet you, Thatch. Do you need any help?"

"Well," Thatch drawled, leaning an elbow on one of the upturned buckets that Ace had been using to wheel the flowers back and forth, "Can I have directions- to your heart?"

Ace's eyebrow rose.

"Or, you'know, if _you _need help. I mean, it must have hurt falling from heaven like you did."

The freckled man's brow furrowed, slowly putting the dots together, and he bit his lip, trying to avoid the smile he could feel grow on his lips.

"Are you naturally that cute or did you have to take lessons?"

"Lessons. They did take a while, but I see you've had some yourself."

Even if he was embarrassed at being flirted with (especially when he smelt like someone had upchucked a garden on him, but then doused him in sweat!) Ace wasn't exactly one to back down from what he viewed as a 'challenge.' Although it was more of a game than a challenge, it wasn't one he'd regret playing. The other guy was pretty good-looking, and besides; what sort of harm would come from a harmless flirt?

Well, obviously the destruction of the other man's brain, considering that Thatch was now staring at him in a dumbfounded fashion, and Ace would've laughed had he not being trying to act suave. Picking a rose from beside the bucket Thatch was leaning on, Ace offered it to the other man, wriggling the flower in front of brunet's face in an effort to encourage him to take it. "If you held eight roses in front of a mirror, you'd see nine of the most beautiful things in the world."

"I thought nothing in life was beautiful, but then I saw you," Thatch retorted, grin stretching across his cheeks.

"Hey, don't I know you? Yeah, that's right, you're the guy with the gorgeous smile."

"Is your name Google? Because you're the answer to everything I'm searching for."

"I was wondering if you could help me find my heart. I think it wandered over into your hands but I just can't seem to spot it."

Suddenly, there was a groaning sound. Ace's gaze flicked towards the plastic bucket that Thatch was leaning on, and even as the warning grew on his lips, Thatch was turning to stare.

"Fuc- _sHIT_-!" Thatch yelped loudly, the bucket finally giving way under his weight and sending him plunging into daffodils and flower-water.

Ace screeched to, darting away from the brunet before he got soaked in the back-wash, before he turned to stare at Thatch, a slow-dawning but intensely hilarious horror growing in his chest.

"Oh my God." Ace stated simply, as Thatch pursed his lips, spitting out a few flower petals and water as he did so, and laughter bubbled out of his mouth, filling the air as he gasped out, "Oh my _GOD!_"

Thatch looked decidedly unimpressed and abashed by his accident, red scouring his cheeks, but upon seeing Ace's amusement his foul look faded, replaced by his own grin, and soon he joined the young man in laughter.

"I- can't-" Ace gasped out when he tried to gasp for breath, "_Believe _you did that!"

Thatch's laughter finally slowed, the man picking out flowers from his hair and trying to avoid sniffing too deeply, and he fastened Ace with what one would call a pout, but what Ace would call someone trying to hide a very, very large grin. "Unlucky enough to fall into a flower bowl. Wow. Can I at least be lucky enough to score your number?"

"Sure, flower boy." Ace said, shaking his head slightly at Thatch's undeterred question, and took out a pen he'd kept in his apron pocket, writing his number on his own arm and smirking. "But the arm comes too."

"Oi, that should be _your_ nickname!" Thatch demanded, but his grin stretched even wider at Ace's flirt.

Ace snorted, crossing his arms. "No-way, you were the one who carked it in the water bowl."

"Ahh, but who's fault was that?"

"Yours!" Ace shot back, almost laughing at Thatch's attempt to look snooty. "You were the one leaning on the bucket."

"Hmm, well I suppose you raise a very good point. Is this not your bucket though? Are these not your flowers?"

"Nope! I just work here _flower boy._"

"_Oiiii,_" Thatch complained, drawing out the word, and Ace laughed, fully amused.

"Flower boy~," He teased, and Thatch picked up a few of the spilled flowers, plopping them behind his ears before clasping a daffodil in his mouth and waggling his eyebrows. Ace almost burst into fresh peals of laughter at the stupid expression Thatch made, just managing to clap his hands over his mouth, and his shoulders shook with soundless mirth.

"_Now _I'm a flower boy." Thatch declared proudly, before heaving himself to his feet and placing a flower behind Ace's ear, securing the bright yellow blossom with gentle fingers. "You can always come 'n be one too, if you'd like."

Ace tried to ignore the cool shivers that raced up his spine and made his cheeks tingle, and tucked his pen back into his apron pocket in an effort to distract himself. "After my shift, flower boy. Then I'll give it a chance."

* * *

**AN: A birthday fic for a friend of mine! Their favourite ship is ThatchAce so I thought I would oblige. Also, pick up lines. Just 'cause.**

**I don't really recommend actually doing this to people who ****_are _****working, unless you're someone who can actually ****_take a _****_hint_**** and realise when they want you to back off, but- **

**Plot bunnies man, ****_plot bunnies._**

**Feel free to drop a request or prompt on my tumblr, authenticaussie! I'm always open (haha, even if I am a bit slow some days VnV)**


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